I've been doing my online research but I've been getting really confused.
This thread applies to a Silvestri Bicam which uses bellows and a Copal #0 bayonet, but I guess it's applicable to other large format cameras too.

1) At this moment I am able to use any Copal #0 lens with my Bicam, as long as there is enough extension to focus to infinity.
I am interested in using other lenses and was wondering whether anyone else has adapted the below options to a Copal #0 board, and what kind of results they obtained.

m42 mount lenses, m39 mount lenses, or other lenses in strange mounts which I am not fully aware of at the moment...

If anyone is wondering why I would want to try such lenses, I guess I would say that I want to see what kind of interesting textures I can get from different lenses so resolution is not of the main concern here

2) Also, a question regarding Helicoids. My Bicam can do Helical focusing using one of their lensboards and the appropriate extension back to allow infinity focusing.
Can I use 3rd party helical focusing mounts and adjust the helical focusing mounts myself? I see that Fotoman has a helical focusing mount that allows you to calibrate it myself.
to summarize: If I have the appropriate extension for my camera to allow infinity focusing on a lens with a helical focusing mount, then any helical focusing mount with the appropriate lens travel should work with the lens right?

3) Has anyone considered using a machinist to custom make your own accessories for cameras that are not being widely supported like Fotoman...
I figured that as long as the mount that attaches the digital back can be made, then it's a matter of creating the front piece which attaches to whatever camera that's involved...

www.skgrimes.com is the best source I know of for custom work. They have made a few things for me and I have been very pleased with each of them. They are a fantastic bunch to work with. They even made me a complete camera for me called the Whatsitcam, a medium format digital Holga. It's one of my favorite things to shoot with.

Alex, Digital Tech Pittsburgh

http://alexrjones.com/alexrjones/digitaltech.html
http://steelgatestudio.com/

Fotoman will also do custom work, if it involves adapting any of their products to a different camera, or another product to their cameras.

Cheers,
Kumar

that sounds great!
any pictures of your camera?

Here's my 2 cents:

I've been trying to do this recently, but I can tell you that it may not be so simple. I had a few problems, and here's some of the things that happened:
- I wanted to make my own stitching back, thinking that Kapture Group's stitching back for 4x5 costs waaaay too much for me.
- I took the idea to a machinist to see if I could get a quote for something similar-ish. The quote was good, making it look worth it.
- But the machinist wasn't familliar with structures like this and such fine ones at that, I think, because it required locking mechanisms, etc. in a thin metal plate.
- Eventually he referred me to another machinist, who also had a go at it.
- In the end, a few mangled prototypes came out, and in fairness, I had to pay for the materials, etc.
- It depend on their experience and knowledge. The initial quotation might look good, but if they are not experienced making these kinds of mechanisms, you might end up with false starts and wasted pieces. Some of them usually work from already completed engineering drawings, and I didn't have these, just napkin drawings and a lot of arm waving and gesticulating. I guess this is where my effort went wrong.
- Another interesting barrier was language - the machinists here generally speak Mandarin and Cantonese and I don't!

So the moral of the story? Fotoman and SK Grimes are experienced with this sort of work. Even if they cost more than your local neighbourhood machinist, they might be a better choice. Of course, you might get lucky and find a low cost local machinist who can do the job.

you're from malaysia?which part. Can you share your contacts? Hey I can speak mandarin!hahah.
I would think a sliding back might be abit tricky (since it involves moving parts...) but it's probably possible to create an adapter for a sliding back don't you think?
I have a silvestri sliding back, I could get an adapter made which allows it to connect from a silvestri mount to let's see... a toyo mount, which is not too difficult.

Have you dealt with Fotoman before? they've been mentioned a few times, I didn't realise they specialise in custom work

hey I've also been thinking of having a project to build my own camera
which part of Malaysia are you in ? and are the machinist using a CNC machine ?

cheers
Malaysian in Sg.

Rueyloon do you think there are any machinists in Singapore...

Also I'll be really curious if anyone could machine an adapter for a AFD back onto a Pro TL back...

Fotoman makes cameras. Their custom work is an additional thing.
I've emailed Paul Droluk a couple of times, but not bought anything yet. Fotoman is a small company, and I think, willing to do things that might seem unconventional at first glance.

Cheers,
Kumar

Good to hear. I'll give them a call.cheers!

I'm in Kuala Lumpur, but most of the machinists seem to be in Puchong, Shah Alam, etc. Yes, they often do have CNC machines on-site, but these machines tend not to have the sort of repeatability and accuracy that the "good" products are manufactured with - they will tell you straight out that if you need 50 micron accuracy, they can't deliver. They will tell you that if you are patient and you can pay for it, they will be willing to machine, measure then adjust carefully to bring it down to the right tolerance. So that's why Kapture Group products cost what they do.

Sometimes the catch of it all is that if you don't have all the required engineering drawings, they will ask for a sample they can examine and possibly use as a basis for the design. If I already had one... then I wouldn't need to ask them to make one! But I guess it depends on your circumstance and needs. If you're just doing it for your own personal use and you can pay for it, they'll do it. If you start to ask them to put somebody else's logo on it, they won't do it since copyrights and patents may be infringed.

One of them asked if I would be willing to try plastic prototypes first. These are cheaper and serve just to check basic fit, make sure the concept works and moving parts work as they should. After that is done, then they'll make it from metal. They can chemical etch, matt or shine, and anodize it to any colour you want. They treat the insides so that it's matt black to avoid internal reflections, but make it blue anodized metal on the outside if you wanted. By the time you're done with all this, I can quite confidently say that 8 months would have passed and you may well have spent as much as or more than what Fotoman or Kapture Group charges. I'd use this route if you have a truly unique idea you want to go into production with, or you really need something that isn't available. It's not for the faint hearted, or for those who are in a hurry.

I wanted to share this when sifting through information

http://www.zoerk.com/Zoerk%20info/product_guide_current.pdf

Zoerk's new MFS system seems to allow the attachment of M39 lenses (80mm upwards) on a whole range of camera bodies (645 and 35mm), while allowing up to 30mm tilt/swing

Will be interesting to see if anyone has used one

There is a mini-review of the Zörk on this same site: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...ries/zork.shtml

And there have been a bit of discussion about the adapter in these forums too:
http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=14248

I'm also pretty sure that thre have been other accounts about it, including one where it was mentioned that particular user gave up using it because it was "too fiddly." Unfortunately, I can't find that posting now...